RUSSELL Martin last night insisted he has no concerns about Alfredo Morelos’s form suffering if speculation about his Rangers team mate’s future continues in the coming weeks.
Morelos failed to score on his return to Graeme Murty’s side on Saturday as Hibernian ran out narrow 2-1 winners in a Ladbrokes Premiership game at Ibrox.
The Columbian striker had been left on the bench for the William Hill Scottish Cup tie against Fraserburgh last Wednesday night due to Murty’s concerns about his frame of mind.
The 21-year-old, who has scored 13 goals since arriving in Scotland in the summer, had been the subject of an unsuccessful £8 million bid from Chinese club Beijing Renhe.
The Chinese transfer window is open for another month and the former HJK Helsinki player, who cost £1 million back in June, could be targeted again in the coming weeks.
However, Martin, who joined Rangers on loan until the end of the season from Norwich last month, has revealed the South American has been unaffected by the interest in him.
“You could see on Saturday that he worked his socks off,” he said. “He dominated the centre halfs most of the game.
“He didn’t get the goal that he or we would have liked, but he has been fine. He is a good lad. He is quite bubbly and lively. There has been no difference in him.
“If his attitude was wrong and the training pitch and he had been sulking about then of course there would be a need to pull him aside and have a chat, but he hasn’t been like that at all so I don’t think there’s been a need to really.
“When there is all the transfer window hype and frenzy going on you never know what is true and what is not. People just get on with it now to be honest. There will always be rumours and stuff like that, but it hasn’t been too much like that to be honest.
“Listen, he’s a good player. Since I have come in the building I have seen what he’s about. He’s a very good player. None of us can dictate what people want to pay. That is up to the clubs. Alfredo seems happy enough.”
Martin admitted he had seen players let their heads go down when they hadn’t got the move they wanted during the transfer window before in his career, but he has no concerns about Morelos given how professionally he has conducted himself.
He is hoping the player can remain at Ibrox and help Rangers go on an extended winning run in the Premiership and challenge for the William Hill Scottish Cup trophy in the remaining weeks of the 2017/18 campaign.
“When that happens then it is a problem for the dressing room,” he said. “But, honestly, he’s been fine, he’s been brand new.
“You could see on Saturday that he wanted to win a football match, worked extremely hard and was disappointed at the result. As long as he keeps doing that we’ll be fine.”
“I’m sure it’s a distraction for the people upstairs at this football club that they could probably do without.
“Of course, it’s going to be on his mind at some point and the manager’s mind. But as long as he’s working hard in training and his attitude stays the same there isn’t a problem with the lad really. As long as it stays the same we’ll be fine.
“Obviously you like to keep your good players and he is a very good player. But in football these days everyone has a price. It is up to the clubs and the board to decide. We will have to go with it. Until then, as long as he remains a decent part of the group then we’ll be fine.”
Meanwhile, Martin admitted the Rangers players were upset on Saturday that they were unable to give club legend Paul Gascoigne, who attended the Hibs match, a win to celebrate.
“It would have been nice to get a win with him being there,” he said. “Unfortunately we didn’t. It’s nice to see him back to full health and able to come to games like this.”
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